Average daily A&E attendances in England reached 81,264 for the first time ever in June, as record temperatures and the World Cup fuelled an “onslaught of demand” on the NHS. The heatwave, which saw temperatures hit 37.7C in Norfolk and triggered red health alerts, also caused fridges in some M&S stores to break down, forcing the retailer to take action to cope with extreme weather.
NHS national medical director Professor Frankie Swords said: “These figures show that summer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter, with staff facing an onslaught of demand – and we have to prepare for it in the same way.” She added that “really busy Mondays following weekends of football and sunshine” were contributing to the pressure, and urged the public to stay hydrated and check on vulnerable people.
“NHS A&E attendances hit record 81,264 daily in June heatwave as M&S fridges broke down.”
During the June heatwave, several hospitals declared critical incidents. University Hospital Southampton was forced to cancel a number of planned operations and outpatient appointments as health chiefs warned that life-threatening emergency calls were significantly increasing. The NHS figures also show that the three busiest months in NHS history have all been in 2026, as the health service grapples with unprecedented demand.
There were 894,143 calls to 999 answered in June – an average of 29,805 per day, 10% higher than last June. Ambulance incidents reached 27,171 per day, up more than 7% year-on-year. However, the proportion of people seen within four hours in A&E fell slightly to 75%, just over half a percentage point down on June 2025.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, said the data showed “an NHS under year-round strain, with extreme heat, fragile buildings, corridor care and unresolved workforce tensions all exposing how little resilience there is left in the system.” She noted that June’s extreme heatwave would have affected vulnerable groups and increased heat-related conditions, adding that such extreme weather “is likely to become more common.”
Meanwhile, the heatwave also disrupted high-street retail. Fridges in some M&S stores broke down because of the record temperatures, prompting the company to take measures to cope with extreme weather. The retailer did not provide further details on the specific actions taken, but the incident underscores the widespread impact of the heatwave across sectors.